The Maritime Intelligence Brief for 1 December 2025 underscores how quickly the global maritime risk environment is shifting across both traditional and emerging fronts. From Black Sea attacks to cyber-enabled disruptions and persistent piracy, shipowners, charterers, and insurers now face a threat picture that demands an integrated understanding of physical, geopolitical, and cyber risks. Dryad Global’s latest analysis offers a high-level overview of key developments, with detailed assessments available via the Secure Voyager Hub.
Black Sea Escalation: Shadow Fleet Comes Under Direct Attack
The most significant development this week is a series of coordinated attacks targeting Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” used to move sanctioned oil.
Ukrainian Sea Baby unmanned surface vehicles struck two Russia-linked tankers KAIROS and VIRAT inbound to Novorossiysk near the Turkish Straits. One vessel suffered a fire and power loss; the other remained afloat despite damage near its engine room.
In a separate but connected incident, the Panamanian-flagged tanker MERSIN, previously loaded with Russian product, was hit by multiple limpet mines while at anchor off Dakar, Senegal.
Together, these incidents suggest a widening, multi-domain effort to disrupt Russian oil logistics far beyond the Black Sea. Key implications for operators include:
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Potential geographic expansion of attacks into the Mediterranean, West Africa, and other transit corridors
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Increased exposure for vessels tied to Russian-origin cargo or opaque trading networks
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Possible redeployment of Russian naval assets to escort duties, further altering the regional security environment
Dryad Global’s full brief examines vessel profiles, likely perpetrators, and trade-route ramifications across the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and West African basins.
Wider Global Threats: Piracy, Migration Pressures & Naval Signalling
Beyond the Black Sea, the global risk map continues to reveal a complex mix of piracy, armed robbery, and suspicious approaches across major maritime corridors, including the Gulf of Guinea, Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia. Despite fluctuating incident numbers, threats to seafarers remain persistent as criminal networks adapt to naval patrols and industry counter-measures.
Additional hotspots and trends include:
Irregular Maritime Migration
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Expanding state responses, including new French authorities to intercept migrant boats
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Increasing rubber-boat departures and evolving tactics in the English Channel
Caribbean & Latin America Security
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Haitian gangs shifting to maritime drug trafficking
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Record cocaine seizures in the region
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Heightened U.S. maritime and aerial surveillance around Venezuela and adjacent waters
Strategic Naval Competition
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U.S. and Chinese carrier movements
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Large-scale Indo-Pacific naval exercises
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Increased Japanese defence activity around Taiwan
These developments collectively shape the operational realities for commercial shipping, influencing routing decisions, insurance exposure, and crew safety considerations.
This week’s Maritime Intelligence Brief highlights a rapidly evolving risk picture driven by geopolitical conflict, organised crime, migration pressures, and major-power competition. For maritime operators, effective decision-making increasingly depends on having an integrated view across physical, geopolitical, and cyber domains. Dryad Global’s deeper analysis via Secure Voyager Hub provides the incident-level insights and route-specific guidance needed to navigate this shifting environment.
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Source: DRYAD GLOBAL
